Mix up your Pilates repertoire with the Pilates weighted balls!

Mix up your Pilates repertoire with the Pilates weighted balls! The  Pilates weighted balls are a great addition to any clinic; they are small, easy to store and an excellent tool to increase or decrease the difficulty of an exercise.  The perfect tool to add variety and interest to your classes while still reinforcing those important fundamental principles that every client needs to focus on.   Use the balls to target specific muscles, add resistance, create unstable surfaces and to flow sequences. Here APPI Pilates Presenter Sophie Contreras demonstrates 2 Pilates exercises using the Pilates balls. Footwork With the weighted ball under one or both feet, perform a leg slide, maintaining neutral pelvis and centre.  This modified version of the APPI One Leg Stretch level 1 incorporates  an unstable base  under the moving foot,  challenging proprioception and control, while still being closed chain.  It's a nice step between one leg stretch level 1 with the foot on the floor and APPI One leg stretch level 2 which involves an open chain movement.  If performing this exercise as shown in the video with both legs, pay particular attention to the position of the lumbar spine and limit the range of hip extension to that at which neutral spine can me maintained. Pay particular attention with those clients who have lordotic posture or low abdominal tone. Bicycle If you want to challenge coordination and concentration, give this a go! Place your left foot on the weighted ball and right leg in table top position.  Perform a one leg stretch level 1 movement on the left side while at the same time  performing a one leg stretch level 2 on the right side.  As the left hip and knee flexes, the right hip and knee extends, creating the bicycle movement. Ensure you keep the left foot on the ball in line with the hip, in a pure sagital plane movement, avoiding the tendency to abduct and adduct the hip.  The right leg should extend just to 45 degrees and return to table top, further challenging lumbo pelvic control.  A nice variation to one leg stretch level 2, before progressing to double table top exercises such as one leg stretch level 3. Need more ideas of how to mix up your Pilates repertoire with the Pilates weighted balls? Check out our APPI Pilates Intermediate mat  with the Pilates weighted balls DVD, only $18. Click here to order or call 03 9981 1860.